St. Landry democrat., 1887-02-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

| WASHINGTON, d. c. Jan. 31st, 1887.
The toilers on Capitol Hill confront
ed various questions during the past
week, some of which were important,
while others were not so. Among them
were the fisheries trouble with Canada
woman suffrage pensions; the bill
establishing Agricultural Experiment
Stations; the bill preventing members
of Congress from acting as attorneys
for corporations with which Congress
has important dealings; the Pleuro-
Pneumonia bill; the River and Harbor
bill, and several of the other regular
appropriation bills.
The Woman Suffrage Association,
which has just closed its nineteenth
annual convention in this city,s saw the
Senate remorsely vote down their pro-
posed suffrage amendment to the Con-
stitution. But sixteen Senators voted
in favor of the ladies, and that was a
great victory for them. They have
repeatedly seen both houses of Congress
vote against the consideration of the
proposed amendment, but this was the
first time they ever had a vote on the
amendment itself.
A committee of twelve ladies, all
prominent in the suffrage movement,
called at the White House TO present
to the President a written protest
against that portion Of the Utah bill
which DISTINGUISHES the gentle women
of Utah. The Mormons are already
DISTINGUISHED, male and female. The
President received the ladies graciously,
and spoke a few words to each as she
was introduced to him. Several of
them made short arguments in favor Of
the rights of Utah women to what they
had been allowed to exercise for fifteen
years-the franchise-and urged the
President to veto the bill if it passes as
it now reads. Mr.. Cleveland listened
| attentiyeiy, promised to give the mat
ter careful attention, and said he had
supposed that the women of Ii tab did
not care to vote and did not vote when
they had il chance. He shook hands
with each lady again at parting, and
after they had been shown through the
suite OF pariors, the committee left the
house much pleased with the cordial
manner of the Chef Magistrate.
1t looks as if there is really to be a
change in the Cabinet soon, and that
two of the best officials in the Treas
ury are to become president and vice
president of the National Bank in
New York. refer to the Secretary of
the Treasury and to the U. S. Treasurer.
Mr.. Jordan. Mr.. Manning declines to
say anything regarding the matter, but
it us generally believed that he will
offer his resignation to take effect soon
after the adjournment Of Congress.
The contemplated retirement of Treas
urer Jordan at that time is openly
acknowledged.
While the President is compelled to
regret parting with these officers, he is
quoted as saying that he did not like to
assume the responsibility of standing
in the way of what he regarded as their
self-interest. The salary of Mr.. Man
nings new office will be S2O,OOO-more
than twice that of cabinet officer, and
the position will not require the contin-
ual strain necessary to fill the office of
Secretary of the Treasury. Besides
the President and the Secretary's
friends are constantly fearful that his
health will again succumb to his pres
eDt onerous duties.
There is a clear case for veto i'm the
drag-ret pension bill which has passed
the House and the Senate and now goes
to the President. 1t provides that all
persons who served three months or
more i'll the military or naval service of
the United States in any war, shall be
pensioned at the rate of $12 per month
if they are unable to earn a support
because OF physical or mental disability.
" Anything to spend the surplus" ap-
pears to be the motto Of the Republi-
cans OF both branches Of Congress. |
This measure, which was rushed
through the Senate without a roll-call, |
creates an annex to the Pen
sion Bureau because it offers gratuities
to disabled ex-soldiers, without re-
gard to any connection between their
service in the army and their present
disability.
The bill would take unknown mill
ions out of the Treasury if it became a
aw, for it also provides at the rate of
Big per month for the dependent rela-
ives of soldiers who are not able to
provide for them. This would be CON
7erting the Federal Government into
IN institution for dispensing outdoor
elief," aud encouraging shiftlessness
mong class that might otherwise be
disappearing. !,